Had a diner breakfast with all the trimmings this morning (fried eggs over, sausage, buttered toast and beans with a never ending cup of coffee), and just remembered that this is WHERE I CAME FROM 😉 Ma Roots yo! Makes me remember all the mornings I ate with my dad at one of these numerous little precious spots… the good ol’ days…

Alright, alright, alright… so the day has finally come where I am officially

CUTTING MYSELF OFF!

Now, I have tried this in the past (and failed miserably) but now I finally have witnesses. A support system.

You guys!

(lucky, lucky you)

Over the years, I have become an increasingly bad shopaholic 😦(smack on the wrist)

I have always been able to because I have always kept my expenses down… now, my expenses are lower than ever and I want to finally take ADVANTAGE of that.I want to start saving money in mad heaps! Unfortunately… my shopping addiction quite easily gets in the way of saving… and really it does feel like an addiction sometimes.

As much as I love Diane vonFurstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin and MAC makeup… I will not be donating any more of my worth to their pocketbooks!(not for quite a while *tear*).

So here is my Challenge (and this IS a challenge):

I will not be buying any clothing, shoes or accessories for two whole months(start date June 1st – end date August 1st)here are the specifics:

Everyday stuff needed (such as skincare, toiletries or foundation) is allowed to be replenished… still gotta bathe YO!

If I DO crack and buy something – the penalty is that I have to give it up as a giveaway! You lucky… lucky… LUCKY people!

Giveaways on this site are still on – I will shop vicariously through you 😉

Maintenance of clothing and DIY are allowed and encouraged (changing heels on shoes, painting jeans, whatever…)

DON’T get me wrong – I use absolutely everything I ever buy and love it till it shreds or runs out, but this nonsense has got to stop! I have a killer wardrobe (in my opinion), and now instead of adding to it I need to be enjoying the crap out of it and using it!

We all have our inner demons, and this is definitely mine

(sucks to be a girl sometimes, no?). I want money to set me free of this consumerism urge I constantly feel and dislike so much! I figure two months will give me enough time to change some of my bad habits and take control of the urges I get when the perfect shoes blink back at me…

More $$$ in the bank (or invested) = more of a better future for me and my “to be” family ;). You’ve only got one shot at life and I wanna live mine right!

So here is where YOU come in!

Every day I will be exercising a “Money Saving” tip in my everyday life to help me out on my quest!

Submit your tip in the comment form below, and at the end of my Shopping Hiatus Challenge the tip that helped me out the most will be receiving the following Giveaway:

Fashionista 514 Engraved iPodNano!!! Choose your color (subject to availability)… cause the most relaxing form of meditation is music to me 😉

Help me out ladies & gents! I will be documenting my progress on my blog throughout the time frame of the Challenge including the tips and the bloggers who donated them 😉

Here goes Nothin‘… Wish me Luck!!!

UPDATE

Soooo, just to inform you all – I caved after one month (it was on MAC makeup… the collection was just too pretty… 😦

BUUUUT… I’ve been doing really good with cutting back on everything else in general! Making food at home, manicures and pedicures at home, no more $5.00 Starbucks coffees, riding my bike around town instead of bus and metro passes, etc…

I have signed myself up for “The Weekend to End Breast Cancer” here in Montreal! I have commited to walking 60km over the course of a weekend (rain or shine) from August 21st till the 23rd! All money raised goes to the Jewish General Hospital here in Montreal, and towards research and development of putting an end to cancer for good. Check out this link to know exactly where your donation goes:

My personal goal is to raise $10,000 (I need a minimum of $2,000 to even be able to walk for the cause). So, in other words…

I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET!!!

Cancer is a sore subject for almost everyone out there. As a woman or a man if you have not directly been affected by this disease, you most probably have lost a loved one from it or know someone who has. I myself lost both grandmothers, my great grandmother, as well as my great aunt – all of whom I was very close to. Cancer is heartbreaking, and an ongoing threat to everyone at every age, gender and race. I am afraid for my family as well as my own future!

Please, help me do my part!

It dosn’t have to be a lot – $5, $10, every dollar counts!

Let me walk the walk for you – Enter my name:Robyn Chalmers or Personal ID Number:432044-7 when making your donation at the following link: